Maryland
Fishing License 2026.

License required?

Yes

Where to apply?

Maryland DNR — COMPASS portal (compass.dnr.maryland.gov / mdoutdoors.maryland.gov), DNR Service Centers, and ~250 agents (sporting-goods, marinas, tackle shops).

Cost

Freshwater: resident annual $20.50; non-resident annual $30.50; resident 7-day $7; non-resident 7-day $13; senior (65+) $5. Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing License (saltwater/tidal): resident $15; non-resident $22.50; resident 7-day $6; Registration (on boats with owner-registered license) free for guests. Trout stamp $5 (freshwater over 16). Senior Consolidated license (65+) $5 covers everything.

Validity

365 days from purchase (rolling) for most freshwater licenses; Chesapeake Bay license valid calendar year.

Available online?

Yes

Maryland uses TWO SEPARATE LICENSES — freshwater (above tidal line) and Chesapeake Bay Sport Fishing License (tidal waters including the Bay, tidal Potomac, coastal bays). Fish both types of water, buy both. Non-residents from reciprocal states (VA, PA, WV, DE) get identical rates. Boat owner can register vessel ($15) so up to 6 guests fish license-free on that boat. Potomac River mainstem requires a separate Potomac River Fisheries Commission license (not MD DNR).

Closed seasons

Chesapeake Bay striped bass: spring trophy season mid-April–May 15 (1 fish, 35" min), summer/fall slot Jun–Dec (1 fish, 19–24" slot, typically). Closed July 16–31 statewide for striper to protect thermal refuge. Yellow perch closed Mar 1 – Apr 30 on tidal tributaries. Blue crab recreational season Apr 1 – Dec 15.

Catch limits

Striped bass 1/day in slot (19–24"), 2/day only during specified charter-boat bonus days. Bluefish 3/day (8" min). Summer flounder 4/day (17" min). Largemouth bass 5/day (12" min; 15" min on tidal Potomac). Trout 5/day (no min except special-regs streams). Blue crab 1 bushel/day recreational (males only, 5.25" min spring / 5" summer).

Prohibited methods

No gaffing striped bass (nets only). No chumming for striper in restricted zones. Circle hooks required for bait fishing striped bass (Chesapeake Bay). Catch-and-release only for striped bass during summer closure. No snagging game fish.

Catch & Release

Striper release: use wet hands, knotless nets, minimize air exposure — MD enforces a regulated catch-and-release season. Dead striper by law cannot be released. Trophy smallmouth catch-and-release on upper Potomac (special-regs zone).

MD tightly regulates striped bass on the Bay (spawning population shared with VA/DE). Annual regulations change — check DNR Fishing Guide every spring. Chesapeake Bay Sport Fishing License boat-registration option is unique to MD.

Best season

April–May (spring trophy striper on Susquehanna Flats), October–November (fall striper run in mid-Bay), June–August (snakehead + topwater bass on Potomac tidal).

Freshwater

Deep Creek Lake, Potomac River (non-tidal), Youghiogheny, Savage River, Gunpowder tailwater, Loch Raven Reservoir.

Saltwater

Chesapeake Bay (full length MD shore, from Susquehanna Flats to Point Lookout); tidal Potomac; coastal bays (Ocean City, Assateague); Atlantic offshore canyons for tuna/marlin from Ocean City.

Equipment

Bass Pro Hanover, Tochterman's Baltimore (historic), Anglers Sport Center Annapolis, Ocean City tackle shops for offshore gear. Live alewife + bunker chum available at Bay marinas.

Fishing guides

Chesapeake Bay charters $600–$1,100/half-day for 6; Ocean City offshore $1,800–$3,500/day for tuna; Savage River drift-boat trout $450/day; Potomac smallmouth float $400–$500/day.

Transport

BWI Baltimore (central, 30 min to most Bay launches), IAD Washington (close to upper Potomac), DCA (tidal Potomac), Salisbury SBY for Ocean City.

Safety

Summer thunderstorms on the Bay build fast — monitor NOAA marine forecasts. Heavy commercial traffic in shipping channels. Jellyfish (sea nettles) July–September. Hypothermia risk on winter striper trips — survival suit recommended.

License fees

$20.50 FW resident + $15 Bay resident = $35.50 combined / ~$53 combined non-resident

Guide prices

$600–$3,500/day depending on Bay charter vs offshore canyons

Daily budget

$60–$120 DIY shore/kayak; $180–$220/angler split 6-pack Bay charter; $400+/angler offshore tuna